So what makes skin color?
The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin, which acts as the body’s major barrier against an inhospitable environment. The epidermis is avascular, (without blood) and composed for four cell types: Keratinocytes, Melanocytes, Langerhan cells, and Merkel cell. Keratinocytes accounts for 95%, while melanocytes make up less than 2% of our skin. The epidermis is composed of 4-5 layers depending on the region of skin being considered.
The epidermis can be further subdivided into the following strata: corneum, lucidum (only in palms of hands and bottoms of feet), granulosum, spinosum, & basale. Cells are formed through mitosis at the basale layer. Within 27 days, these cells migrate towards the surface, die and harden (kaeratinized). This keratinized layer of skin is responsible for keeping water in the body and keeping other harmful chemicals and pathogens out, making skin a natural barrier to infection.
Melanocytes produce a protein called melanin. In humans, melanin is the primary determinant of skin color and also found in hair, and eyes. Melanin is found in the plant, animal, and protista kingdoms, where it serves predominantly as a pigment. The most common form of biological melanin is eumelanin, a brown-black polymer. Another common form of melanin is pheomelanin, a red-brown polymer largely responsible for red hair and freckles.
